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Threat Assessment and Protocol

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The Durham Catholic District School Board is committed to providing safe learning environments for all students, staff, school visitors and community members. When student behaviours pose a potential threat to safety or serious harm to self or others, all schools in the Durham Catholic District School Board follow the Community Threat Assessment and Intervention Protocol (C-TAIP), which outlines how a school responds immediately to threatening behaviour.

This protocol involves supports from various partners, including community agencies, hospitals and police services. Personal information shared throughout this process will always respect and balance each individual's right to privacy while ensuring the safety of all. Visit our Board's Safe Schools webpage for more information or speak to the principal.

Community partners and the Durham Regional Police Service

Through outreach, school and community partnerships already in place may be enhanced and new partnerships developed with community agencies and other groups within the community (e.g. Aboriginal Elders). Community agencies are important resources that schools can use to deliver prevention or intervention programs. Protocols are effective ways of establishing connections between boards and community agencies and formalizing the partnership. These partnership agreements must respect all applicable collective agreements and Board policies.

The Durham Regional Police Service plays an essential role in making our schools and communities safe. The police investigate incidents in accordance with our Police/School Board protocol. This protocol is based on the provincial model developed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Education.

Search and seizure

According to the Police/School Board Protocol for Durham Catholic District School Board, it is the right and authority of the school to search school and personal property, such as lockers, desks, backpacks, purses, etc., without notice or permission of any person. Police may from time to time be invited onto school premises to conduct their own searches, also without prior notice to or permission of any member of the school community.

Police involvement

School Boards across Ontario are required by law to report the following incidents that occur on or in school premises or are in any way related to the school or school related activities to the police.

Incidents that must be report to police include:

physical assaults causing bodily harm requiring medical attention;

sexual assault;

robbery;

criminal harassment;

weapons offences; and

drug offences (eg. trafficking in illegal or controlled drugs).

Incidents that may be reported:

Trespass to property/access to school premises, issues and other school related matters which may require the involvement of police services will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as determined by the principal/principal designate.

These may include:

hate and/or bias motivated incidents;

gang related incidents;

extortion;

threats of serious physical injury;

possession or threat to use an incendiary device; and

vandalism.

There may be other situations where, in the opinion of the school administration or designate, the police should be contacted.

Safe and Caring Schools Report It - Non-emergency report system

Parents and students are encouraged to report incidents of bullying or other school safety concerns as soon as they happen by contacting their teacher and/or school administration. Visit Report It to complete an online form.